Whimsy Crafts for an Analog Summer (Part 3)

June 18, 2026 Kadi House

Part 3: ICE TIE DYE

There is something magical about making a souvenir before the memory even happens.

A felt pennant can commemorate a girls' trip, a family vacation, a summer camp, a bachelorette weekend, a retreat, or simply your favorite corner of your home. It's part decoration, part keepsake, and part excuse to spend an afternoon creating.

For this version, I used my Cricut to cut the felt and lettering, but you could absolutely cut everything by hand if you feel confident with that.

Supplies

Soda Ash
Dish Bin
Wire basket that fits in the dish bin and doesn't touch the bottom
Powder Tie Dye (Dharma is the best)
Something cotton to dye
Patience
Rubber bands

Step 1: Soak your item in soda ash

This process helps the dye attach to the garment. Do not skip this step. 20 minutes should be enough time, but it can soak for longer.

Ring out all of the soda ash. Pro tip: wear gloves during this step because, while it's not toxic, soda ash makes your hands super dry.

Step 2: Scrunch and tie your item

We can do a whole tutorial on how to scrunch or fold your item to get a cool design. Honestly? You can't go wrong with a classic scrunch. I like to only put a few rubber bands on it because I prefer less white space. If you just want a little bit of color and a lot of white space, load up on the rubber bands.

Step 3: Stage

Place your tied item in the basket (that is in the dish pan). Cover the item completely with ice.

Step 4: Sprinkle

Sprinkle powdered dye over the ice. I prefer to do this step in clumps instead of all over. Section off each area for a certain color. It will end up blending nice with the color next to it. I shy away from layering the colors on top of each other because I am not sure how it will turn out.